With the increased volume of imagery now available, and with the expectations of continued growth for earth observation image data, users are finding challenges for image management.

LizardTech, known for its image compression format, MrSID, has released Express Server 8, a delivery platform for large size image data. The new version will support Geospatial PDFs (Adode), GeoPDF (TerraGo) as well as JPEG 2000.

Another new product feature is the administrator's dashboard, Express Server Manager.  The newly redesigned  console allows the user to create catalog into which images are loaded. Image header data extracts basic information such as available bands and projection. The design fosters and easier workflow that helps to prepare imagery prior to publishing to, for example, a Web Map Service or for preprocessing to be used by an image processing system.

The response time for image visualization is another improvement to Express Server. LizardTech reports that, for example, 15 simultaneous users can download the same 1024x1024 image size file, simultaneously, with in approximately 2.5 seconds. In addition, Jon Skiffington, director of product management for the company, says that its easier today to integrate multiple sources of data and to work with terabyte sized image sets.

For a new user of image data, LizardTech provides several tools for image preprocessing. LizardTech's GeoExpress software manipulates and compresses imagery to a MrSID format. Express Server manages files and prepares them for retrieving and publishing the compressed image datafor quick loading directly to an image processing application or a web service.

Express Server ships today and a 30-day trial version is available for immediate download. (http://www.lizardtech.com/downloads/category/#free_trials